Letter balance



y 1939. R. WESTERMANN 2,157,807

LETTER BALANCE Filed June 21, 1938 INVENTOR WITNESS ATTORNEYS Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to scales and more particularly to that type known as letter balances.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a letter balance which is simple in construction, durable in use, eflicient in operation and economical in manufacture.

Another object of my invention is to provide a scale of the above described character constructed and arranged to coact with the point of a pen or the like whereby the weight of letters and other articles may be readily determined and at the same time serving as a cover for the pen or the like when not in use as a balance.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the above described character constructed in the form of a cap readily attachable to fountain-pens and the like already in use as a replacement for the ordinary cap.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claims and annexed drawing.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my invention illustrating the same in position for weighing a letter or the like.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof illustrating the same in closed or inoperative position and serving as a cap for a fountain-pen.

Figure 3 is a front elevation illustrating the cap in operating position as a balance beam.

Figure 4 is a side elevation illustrating the cap in closed position and serving as a protector for the point of a fountain-pen.

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on the lines 5-5 and 6--6 of Figure 2 respectively.

In practicing my invention I provide a fountain-pen 5 equipped with the usual ink barrel 6 provided with a pen point I fashioned with a nib 8. The barrel 6 is exteriorly threaded adjacent the point 1 as at 9. In place of the ordinary cap usually employed for closing the pen end of the barrel for protecting the pin point 1 I provide a cap l fashioned with a closed end II, an open end l2 and a threaded section l3 for engagement with the threads 9 of the barrel whereby the cap is secured thereon for protecting the same.

Adjacent the open end I2 the cap is fashioned with a segmented section M, the outer end of which is hinged to the open end of the barrel as at I5. The inner end of the section I4 has secured thereto a clip I6 by means of a rivet l1 and said clip is constructed of a resilient material and fashioned adjacent one end with a loop section I8 whereby said end overlies a portion of the body of the clip thereby forming a pair of coextending members I 9, each of which are fashioned with offset sections engaging each other intermediate of the length thereof.

When the segmented section I4 is in closed position the body of the clip I6 is maintained against the outer periphery of the cap [0 by means of a pair of spaced pins 20 carried by the cap and extending one on each side of the clip as clearly illustrated in Figures 2, 4, and 6.

Said pins are fashioned with heads whereby to overlie the respective marginal edges of the clip and said clip is of a sufficient resiliency whereby the same may be readily snapped between said pins.

The cap Hi adjacent the open end [2 is formed with a pair of projections 2| and 22 extending from the peripheral face thereof and opposite from the segmented section 14. Said projections 21 and 22 are fashioned with inner concave faces constituting fulcrum points and the outer face of said cap is provided with suitable indicia 23 indicative of weight, for instance one and two ounces. It is to be understood that while I have shown a pair of projections 2| and 22, any desired number may be fashioned on the cap and have respective fulcrum points.

In use the cap it is removed from the barrel 6 of the fountain-pen and the clip l6 disengaged from the pins 20 to permit the segmented section I4 to pivot downwardly. In this position of the parts the point I of the pen is inserted through the segmented opening of the cap to position the nib 8 in one of the fulcrum points of the projections, for instance the fulcrum point of projection 22 as clearly illustrated in Figure 1. When the cap is thus positioned on the nib 8 the cap forms a balance arm. Thus when a letter L or the like is inserted between the members IQ of the clip the weight of the letter will serve to counterbalance the closed end of the cap.

Should the letter underbalance the cap to permit the closed end to pivot downwardly, the cap is detached from the nib 8 to position the nib within the projection 2| thereby permitting counterbalancing of the letter and cap. When the parts are thus counterbalanced the indicia adjacent the partioular projection in which the nib 8 is seated indicates the weight of the letter.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the segmented section i4 is maintained in closed position through the medium of the clip 16, the cap is utilized for closing andprotectingthe end of the barrel having the pen point 1 and said clip serves to maintain the device clamped within a pocket or the like to prevent loss as in the instances of the ordinary types of fountain-pen clips. It is to be further noted that my form of cap not only coacts with the pen point I to effect a letter balance but also coacts therewith to protect said point when not in use, thereby performing a dual function not obtainable in fountainpens equipped with ordinary cap constructions.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination with a fountain-pen barrel equipped with a pen point having a nib; a cap attachable to said barrel for protecting said pen point and fashioned with a hinged section and a plurality of fulcrum points, one of said fulcrum points adapted to receive said nib to balance said cap on said pen point, a clip carried by said section for maintaining the latter in closed position relative to said cap and constituting an article support when said section is suspended from said cap in open position to permit said peii point to engage one of said fulcrum points.

2. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination with a fountain-pen barrel equipped with a pen point having a nib; a cap attachable to said barrel for protecting said pen point and fashioned with a hinged section and a plurality of fulcrum points, one of said fulcrum points adapted to receive said nib to balance said cap on said pen point, a clip carried by said section for maintaining the latter in closed position relative to said cap and constituting an article support when said section is suspended from said cap in open position to permit said pen point to engage one of said fulcrum points, and fastening devices carried by said barrel for engaging said clip whereby to maintain said clip detachably secured on said barrel to permit said cap to be inserted on said barrel for protecting said pen point.

RUDOLF WESTERMANN. 

